Page 5 of Night’s Bride (Ragoru Origins #3)

E mily stared after them, unable to believe what she was seeing. Were they really running from her? Her first impulse was to take it as an insult but the whole thing was just too funny, and she had to admit that she was a little sympathetic. She hadn’t been a virgin for some time, but it was clear that the twins were a timid pair and as pure as the snow falling from the skies just outside the door. She rolled her tongue thoughtfully within her mouth and considered whether she should go after them or not. Thankfully, she was saved from the option of chasing after them like a jilted lover by a loud knock at the door. The timing of it startled her but she hurried over with a burgeoning sense of relief and threw it open.

A tall figure wrapped so thoroughly in furs that it couldn’t be anything other than a human stepped inside with a blast of snow and cold wind that made Emily shiver.

“Sorry, sorry,” a woman’s voice apologized from beneath the deep hood as she hurried into the house. A large Ragoru with steel gray fur beneath all the rapidly melting snow followed behind her. “Get the door, please, Sabol.”

The male’s bright yellow eyes fell briefly on Emily before turning back to his mate with obvious adoration. “Of course, rya,” he rumbled as he turned and closed the door firmly behind them.

Emily watched the pair apprehensively but managed a small, uncertain smile when the woman threw back her hood to beam happily at her. The auburn braid thrown over her shoulder was threaded through with a number of smaller braids and ribbons, some of which terminated in tiny carved figures and beads that appeared to be made of bone. They clattered softly with the movement of the woman’s head as she looked around the room with an air of satisfaction.

Just who was this woman looking around with such unmistakable authority? Was there some sort of ceremony that Emily wasn’t aware of? She had assumed that the mating process was straightforward: be collected by one’s mates, travel over an obscene distance in freezing temperatures, and then get plowed until incapable of walking—mating completed. So why did she have a strange woman standing in the middle of her living room?

“Sabol.” Vrel’s surprised greeting alerted Emily to her mates’ return. She turned her head to glance back at them as he dipped his head respectfully, his eyes shifting warily to the woman. “We did not expect you.”

“Apologies,” the woman replied. “I know that we are interrupting, but we wanted to be something of a welcoming committee for your mate. You know, beyond just the basics of warming your den for your arrival.”

“Evelyn.” Vikt rumbled with a brief dip of his head. “Your generosity is appreciated.”

Not just appreciated—Vikt sounded almost relieved at the interruption. Who did this Evelyn… Wait, Evelyn? Emily’s head whipped back to her guest in surprise. “Evelyn Willock?”

“So you have heard of me.” The woman’s cheeks, already reddened from the cold, took on a deeper hue. “I didn’t expect that, not when I was so careful to keep my name off the reading material that I compiled for our new… ah… brides. Anonymity is safe, and it’s a blessing when one doesn’t want anyone arriving to the conclusion that one has more power and influence here than one actually does.”

She didn’t want anyone deferring to her or expecting her to fight their battles for them. Emily could understand and appreciate that. She just wanted to be seen for what she was—just another woman mated to a Ragoru triad.

Emily gave her a sympathetic smile. “Understood. I will keep the knowledge to myself. I heard of you only in passing and then made it a point to read everything I could find on the woman who became a bride of ‘monsters’—no offense—and helped construct the current bridal arrangement. I hadn’t even believed that I would meet you here. The northlands seem so large that I figured that it was unlikely.”

Evelyn chuckled as she drew off her cloak and handed it to her mate. “A reasonable expectation. We don’t share information about the northlands with the capital or any of the other citadels. As I said before, anonymity is safe. In truth, while the homes—or dens as you’ll hear them more commonly called—were built spread out for the comfort of the originally intended inhabitants, they are still close enough together that the distance is equal to only a handful of blocks within the capital. My own home is almost within the heart of the den lands and is distinguished by a red door. A mark that my mates suggested as a color of welcome from their divine Mother Ewa to convey a place of safety.”

“I see,” Emily murmured in reply. “And so you are here to?—”

“To welcome you,” Evelyn reiterated with a broad smile. “I would have brought gifts, but Ragoru are touchy about anyone offering something to their mate unasked. It is viewed as some sort of insult to their ability to provide and care for you.” Sabol nodded approvingly at her side, but Emily didn’t miss the slight roll of the other woman’s eyes. “I tried to explain that humans like things like sweet cakes and such, so stop by at my little red door sometime and I will bring you in for some tea and cake… or coffee if you prefer. Just this summer I headed over to the port for Northern Run Mines to acquire supplies in bulk. Blythe Manchen has become a good friend, and we radio frequently. She is happy to adjust her orders for me, so if you think of something you are missing just make a list for the next run. But I’m rambling. Just come by and we can enjoy something sweet without overstepping any mating boundaries.”

Emily bit back a smile as she cast a glance at her frowning mates and nodded. “I just might do that. It would be nice to be able to compare notes with another woman.” She definitely wasn’t going to seek out Trish if she could help it. And of course, now that she had the authority on Ragoru and human mating in her home, she couldn’t possibly miss the opportunity of having some questions answered. “Since you are here, perhaps you can help me understand this whole mating dynamic beyond what your pamphlet described.”

As expected, the scientist’s brows rose with interest. “Oh, was there some point that needed further clarification?”

Vikt rumbled behind her, but Emily tossed him a reassuring look over her shoulder. She was certain that this was embarrassing for them, but they weren’t going to get anywhere by not asking.

“From what they have told me, the alpha usually initiates mating. As twins, there is no alpha between them to… get things going, I guess you could say,” Emily explained as she fought back a blush. Okay, this was a little more awkward than she expected. “As all of the… plumbing… is internally contained, how do I—you know—prepare them?”

Evelyn glanced sidelong at her mate. “This is a thing?”

Sabol dropped his head and discreetly wheezed, which became a sharp hack when his mate jabbed him with her elbow. “Frequently,” he grunted as he rubbed his belly with one hand. “Many males have at least the potential the be an alpha and therefore do not suffer from such problems—which is why I could make you scream so deliciously when we met,” he added pointedly with a grin at his mate. “But many others are not so fortunate.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes at her mate before grimacing at her apologetically.

“First of all, ignore him. He can be an insensitive lout. As to your situation, I admit that is not something I considered when I selected them to participate. It is so hard to guess which Ragoru may have this difficulty and it’s not really information that they volunteer. I suppose that will need to be addressed as well,” she murmured thoughtfully to herself. “As we have quite a few males who are solitary or in duos—in fact, one pair recently brought back a female that they found along the southern edge of the Far Northern Forests—I didn’t suspect that neither of them would instinctively take a leadership role.”

Evelyn’s lips pursed thoughtfully and scrutinized Vikt and Vrel until they practically squirmed in place, their ears pinning back with such obvious shame that Emily regretted even asking. She took a step forward and opened her mouth to intercede, but Evelyn shook her head with a rueful smile as her mate grumbled at her.

“My apologies. I sometimes let my curiosity run away with me. While it is an interesting and unpredicted situation, it’s perfectly fine,” she replied, and Emily had the distinct impression the reassurance was as much for Vikt and Vrel as it was for her. “Ragoru are highly tuned to their senses. If they are more reserved in aggressive passions, you should be able to bypass it easily enough by focusing on making yourself aroused to the point that it triggers an instinctual response. And if they need a little help extruding fully and engorging, there is a thick cluster of nerves at the base of their sheath. A little pressure there will make them engorge fully.”

Emily winced. She wanted her to pinch them there ? Evelyn clearly interpreted her look correctly because the other woman laughed.

“It does sound uncomfortable, doesn’t it? But trust me, they will very much enjoy it. There is a certain rush of pleasure to it, as I accidentally discovered,” she confided with a blush.

Sabol coughed discreetly as he handed Evelyn’s cloak back to her, but it failed to distract Emily from the heated look he gave his mate. There was no doubt in her mind which male received the accidental manual assistance. And she was glad that she witnessed the exchange too, because that made her feel significantly more confident about the whole thing.

“You have imparted your greetings, rya, but we should leave them to their mating. It is best that they get a handle on this before the Withering Days fall upon us,” he rumbled in a tone of adoration, though the smile he bent upon Emily’s mates was one full of encouragement.

“Yes, you’re right,” Evelyn agreed with a laugh and a fond look as she allowed her mate to help her into her cloak. “While the timing was planned out perfectly in terms of traveling, I have to admit that it does leave things a bit pinched on time when it comes to acclimating before being introduced to the rut.”

“Rut?” Emily echoed, but the other woman simply winked salaciously at her.

“You will see. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but it’s wonderful. Oh, and don’t forget the red door whenever you want to chat,” Evelyn called over her shoulder as her mate herded her to the door.

Emily nodded as she stared after the pair, her mind awhirl. Beneath all of it, however, settled a resolve to mate with both of her males immediately. She wanted plenty of time to enjoy them and get to know them physically before they were all subjected to some sort of hormone-laden frenzy. She had heard of ruts before only in terms of certain animals during their breeding seasons and if that was what was going to happen, then she wanted to be well prepared.

But with her gun-shy mates, she was going to have to go about it in a less direct manner. That was fine. She’d never taken flirting beyond some casual petting—and certainly nothing just shy of pornographic—but there was a first time for everything.

She, Emily Duert, was going to seduce her mates.